Reeve's Story
by Talliya
Summary: A look at how Reeve came to work for ShinRa and why he helped Avalanche in the end. (I have named all 8 sectors... the towns that were originally there... they have names... from another video game...but it's not really a crossover.)


OOC: I do not own any rites to Final Fantasy VII,

IC: Job Hunting

Reeve had been working his ass off trying to get into the new tech-mining operation in Kalm. With his skills in the technology department and his degrees in computer-engineering and construction he was a perfect fit. His résumé was overflowing with the things he'd accomplished for Wutai and he had glowing recommendations from various employers. So he walked up to the board where they had posted the people hired for the job with high hopes. Hopes that came crashing down around his egotistic designer leather loafers. /A really bad joke. That's what it was, had to be. There is NO way, none; that I could have been passed over as Head Engineer for this project, let alone not hired for it at all! I have everything that they need! And then some; I have a college education, drive, creativeness, years of experience./ Yet his name wasn't on the board. Angrily he stomped away from the board's resting place and headed out to where he knew the head honchos for the project were currently situated.

Arriving he had a small businessman's smile pasted to his face, the kind that incurred respect because of its 'holier-than-thou' smugness but was also polite and inclusive, making people bypass the smugness of it all just so that they could have it centered on them. Reeve had perfected this smile with years of practice and his father's example to start from. His father had always seemed to get exactly what he wanted with little to no effort on his part, and that was something that Reeve had hated. He always heard people complaining behind his father's back, and instead of defending the man he'd asked the complainers what they would like his father to do. All the money and the fame were a part of the life Reeve had shunned. He wanted to be known for his merits, his own accomplishments, his labor and hard work; all of the things that his father's employee's expected of an employer and co-worker. He'd thought he could do no wrong with that, but apparently he'd been wrong. "Hello gentlemen," He greeted as he approached the small circle of chairs in which sat those responsible for ousting him of a job.

"Ahh, Mr. Tuesti to what do we owe the pleasure?" The owner and manager of the mining facility rose and greeted him.

"Mr. Carter," Reeve greeted in return.

"I take it you saw the list already, Mr. Tuesti?" This came from the head of the construction company in town.

"Yes Sir, I did." Reeve answered him with a polite nod of his head.

"If you've come to complain or ask us to take you in any way possible you will be disappointed. I assure you, you are not needed for this project Mr. Palek." A third man growled from his place on a chair.

Reeve flinched, /How the HECK did he know that name!?/ "Of course not. But please, I don't have any ties with my father any more. He is Mr. Palek. I simply came by to congratulate you all on picking out such a fine team." Reeve's magnanimous grin had just the right amounts of self-deprecation and gratitude that they all believed his lie. He _had_ rushed down there to get himself a job, after all his rent was due soon and he had no way to pay it. But it would seem that he would have to find something else.

Making the trek back to his car and then driving back to Kalm Reeve had plenty of time to think, yet when he arrived at his one room apartment he still had no answers. Walking into the room after unlocking the simple cheesy lock on the door Reeve turned to the left, his destination the fridge. Pulling out a Shinra Cola and sandwich makings he placed them on the counter. Grabbing a butter-knife he set to work making himself a sandwich, when that was completed he replaced the makings in the fridge and chucked the knife in the sink. Wandering over to his desk, set back in the furthest corner from the front door and on the other side of his bed, slightly hidden from view by a curtain, he sat and booted up his computer. While munching on his sandwich Reeve looked through all of the footage that his 'bugs' had been picking up since he left his surveillance earlier to check the work board. He'd placed his little invention all over Kalm, knowing what was going on was always a plus, and while Reeve wasn't one to gossip, knowing what the gossip was or would be later on was generally a good thing. His 'bugs' were just that, little robotic bugs, they looked just like any other insectoid on Gaia and could be controlled to crawl/fly closer or further away from any given subject matter that was under inspection. These bugs of his had saved his hide many times, letting him know that people were gearing up to kick him out of some place, or steal his stuff.

Realizing he'd left his Cola on the counter he got up and grabbed it and popped the cap to take a swallow. However he paused with the bottle raised to his lips as one of his 'bugs' pinged, since they were only set to ding at him if there was something suspicious, Reeve hurried back over to the computer cola in hand. Sitting down he brought up the 'bug' that had pinged and began observing the video feed on his screen; seeing a couple of men talking in an out of the way, hidden from view backyard, he turned the audio for the bug on. He was beyond curious as to what they could be talking about, the two men weren't anyone that he knew... and he knew everyone in Kalm by now. After a few seconds of moving the bug closer and tweaking the audio and visual inputs he was receiving the conversation as if he were a part of it.

"So that bloke ShinRa's really going to make that damn city o'his?"

"Yea, I hear tell 'e needs someone who can make them fancy computer models o' buildin's. Not really sure what that entails, it's above me pay grade."

A sly smile plastered itself across Reeve's face, those were skills he had in spades. Looking around his room at the dismal setting his mind began forming a plan of action. So of course he missed the part where his bug was smashed to pieces and these goons he was 'overhearing' were taken away by a ShinRa helicopter. He proceeded to turn everything off, controlled all of his 'bugs' back to his apartment... minus the few that were squished underfoot by people who didn't like bugs. He didn't even seem to care that the one he'd been listening to slash watching was one that was squished... that the video feed from it showed that one of the men purposely stomped it into oblivion. There were videos of kids doing the same thing after all.

Reeve went about packing away all of his gizmos and gadgets, his clothing and the few dishes he owned. Put them all into the backseat and trunk of his little car, let his landlord know that he wouldn't be living there anymore and drove out of Kalm. There was no longer anything there for him, and starting out some place new was always a good plan. He never once looked in his rearview mirror, Kalm was history, Midgar was where his future lay. Or rather, creating Midgar was where his future lay; he hoped.


End file.
